Aspark Owl: The Latest Electric Hypercar out of Japan

Aspark, a small Japanese EV manufacturer, recently publicised footage of their new hypercar, the Owl. The EV launched at the Frankfurt Auto show last year and has been in development since 2014.

The Owl isn’t just any old electric vehicle, it looks set to be the fastest accelerating production car on the planet.

The Specs

A video has emerged showing the Owl accelerating to 62 mph in a staggering 1.921 seconds, but it gets better. Since then, the Owl improved on this time, reaching 62 mph in just 1.89 seconds, according to News Atlas. That’s faster than any other production car, it’s even faster than a modern F1 car.

Two 40 kW motors produce 430 hp and 562 lb-ft of torque. Although there are more powerful EVs, the Owl still shifts as it weighs just 860 kg. Weight has been kept down by using magnesium alloy wheels and mostly carbon fiber parts.

Although it hasn’t been confirmed, It’s most likely an all-wheel-drive vehicle. Otherwise, it would be nearly impossible to lay down all that power with such little weight. Check out the Owl’s acceleration in the video below:

A lot of power mixed with very little weight gives the Owl a frighteningly quick 0-62 mph time.

The EV Marketplace

Performance wise the Owl looks set to match, and even better, the eagerly anticipated Tesla Roadster. It’s production numbers and price, however, don’t.

Aspark is planning on making just 50 units of the Owl. If you want to be one of the lucky few to get your hands on it, you’ll have pay in excess of $4 million.

The Roadster is rumored to cost around $200,000 and get to 62 mph in about 1.9 seconds. So, you’ve really got to want those few hundredths of a second to pay for the Owl.

Some Criticism

Some skeptics criticised Aspark’s 1.921 seconds acceleration video, as there was no speedometer or timer shown. So, the acceleration couldn’t be verified. Eagle-eyed viewers also noted that the Owl was fitted with racing slick tires, which help give it more grip off the line.

Another bone of contention is that when the Owl got to 62 mph in 1.89 seconds, it did it with hot race tires. Either way, it’s still an extremely impressive feat.